Dartmouth Health Children’s launched a new season of its “Heads Up” mental health awareness series focused on children, titled “Heads Up: Foundations for Youth Mental Health.” The program aims to address top mental health concerns identified in a recent survey of parents and caregivers in New Hampshire and Vermont with children from infancy to age 18. The goal is to provide practical resources for families and others who support young people.
The series includes short videos, online materials and community discussions on topics highlighted in the survey. Videos, available on the Dartmouth Health website, focus on building healthy media habits, understanding the effects of social media, strengthening relationships with family and peers, coping with grief and trauma, and developing resilience to reduce anxiety and other mental health issues.
In addition to videos and discussions, Dartmouth Health Children’s is developing a toolkit for caregivers, schools and mental health organizations. This toolkit will include links to online resources and guidance on supporting children’s mental well-being.
Leaders at Dartmouth Health emphasize that children’s mental health has become a major concern, especially given the impact of social media, current events and broader cultural pressures. They view mental health as an essential part of overall health and aim to provide accessible tools to address these challenges.